Dec 24, 2014
(Started Oct 27, 2014)

Effectiveness

Major
(for Seizures)

Effectiveness

Major
(for Epilepsy)

Side effects

Moderate
(Daytime sleepiness, Dizziness)

Adherence

Always

Burden

Not at all hard to take

Dosage:
750 mg
Twice daily

Advice & Tips:
As my G4 GBM has 'woken up' after debulking surgery, it's tickled the brain and caused a few seizures, so we've upped the dose to 750mg twice daily, which has increased the sensation of sleepiness and mild nausea - but really nothing to complain about. And IIRC, these symptoms do reduce after a week or two. Not feeling any of the symptoms some people get (no mood changes, anger or agressiveness problems).

Nov 28, 2014
(Started Oct 27, 2014)

Effectiveness

Major
(for Seizures)

Side effects

Mild
(Daytime sleepiness, Dizziness)

Adherence

Always

Burden

Not at all hard to take

Dosage:
500 mg
Twice daily

Advice & Tips:
I've got on so much better than with Phenytoin. Very mild dizziness and faintest hint of what may be a sort of nausea, neither of which are really worth mentioning, but worth it for being completely seizure free.

Feb 7, 2012
(Started Aug 14, 2010)

Effectiveness

Moderate
(for Epilepsy)

Side effects

Moderate
(Stomach upset, Anxious mood)

Adherence

Always

Burden

Not at all hard to take

Dosage:
6000 mg
Daily

Advice & Tips:
THE XR IS THE BEST THE KEPPRA IS THE BEST. THE MAIL ORDER SENT ME THE GENERIC THE OTHER WEEK AND I TRIED IT AND I NOTICED SEIZURE ACTIVITY THAT DAY.
SWALLOWING AND NAUSEA IS MY BIGGEST ISSUE BUT THE SEIZURES ARE A LOT BETTER!

Cost:
< $25 monthly

Side effects:
Stomach upset, Anxious mood

May 30, 2010
(Started Aug 14, 2010)

Effectiveness

Moderate
(for Epilepsy)

Side effects

Mild

Adherence

Always

Burden

Not at all hard to take

Advice & Tips:
timer from e-pill for taking pills 5 times a day. timer on phone and pill box

Jan 3, 2012
(Started May 28, 2007)

Advice & Tips:
I take Keppra because I originally started out on Dilantin which hit my liver hard the minute I started taking it. Although Keppra is VERY good at keeping the grand mals away, I have very little time that I feel energetic.

Cost:
$50-99 monthly

Aug 16, 2011
(Started May 28, 2007)

Advice & Tips:
While Keppra seems to do a very good job of stopping grand mals in their tracks, I still have quite frequent absence seizures, visual auras, olfactory auras (more often than visual) and serious memory issues. On top of all that, I have fits of rage out of nowhere that can last for up to several hours in which case I stay in my bedroom away from the rest of the family. Even though I have been taking Keppra for years, it STILL makes me groggy, especially if I have to take pain killers of any kind. I have also recently noticed having some problems with things tasting wrong, if not totally disgusting. Foods that I normally love taste gross. I have also lost a lot of hair since I started taking Keppra, but I have to admit it could possibly just be coincidental that I am 52 and just thinning out due to age.

Cost:
$50-99 monthly

Jul 26, 2011
(Started May 28, 2007)

Advice & Tips:
Even though Keppra has worked much better than Dilantin or Topomax, it still makes me tired much of the day and I sometimes have rage issues that are hard to deal with. Oh, and my hair has thinned out since I started taking it, but then again I am 52 and I guess that might be due to aging. =/